Hong Kong e-payment operator Octopus launches QR code service, aiming to get city’s 40,000 taxi drivers off cash — South China Morning Post — “Hong Kong cashless payment operator Octopus has launched a QR code service aimed at small merchants and the city’s 40,000 taxi drivers, who have long been reluctant to accept anything but cash. The new payment method, which only requires a smartphone on each side of the transaction, eliminates the need for merchants to install Octopus card readers, which at certain locations are bound by technical limitations.”
Travel and ticketing
Amazon to accept payments by voice on Alexa devices
Amazon Alexa skills to accept payments — VentureBeat — “Developers and businesses making skills for Amazon’s Alexa will soon be able to accept Amazon Pay for purchases directly within voice apps from the Alexa Skills Store… Initial skills categories to accept Amazon Pay include donations, restaurants, and event ticketing.”
UK government unveils plans for smart ticketing on railways
Connecting people: A strategic vision for rail — Department for Transport — “Our aim for 2018 is that, by the end of the year, both ITSO and barcode tickets will be accepted for travel on almost all of the network… We also expect much of the industry to offer smart cards that can be held in digital ‘wallets’ on mobile phones… We expect in the medium-term wider use of mobile phone-based ticketing, and in the longer-term to explore options that don’t require a physical check of tickets.”
Juniper forecasts 375m NFC ticketing users by 2022
NFC mobile ticketing users to reach 375 million users by 2022, despite a slow start — Juniper Research — “The number of mobile users adopting NFC ticketing will exceed 375 million by 2022, up from an estimated 122 million in 2017. While there is rapid growth in NFC ticketing in European markets, Juniper has scaled back NFC ticketing adoption in many other markets, such as the US, India, and Africa, due to the lack of available services and infrastructure.”
Hong Kong transit operator to test WeChat Pay and Alipay
Contactless competition: WeChat Pay is coming to Hong Kong’s MTR, and Alipay may not be far behind — South China Morning Post — “Commuters on Hong Kong’s MTR will soon be given a new quick payment option as the railway operator has partnered with the mainland’s second-largest mobile payment provider WeChat Pay, it announced on Thursday. WeChat Pay’s main rival, Alipay, said it would follow suit in the ‘near future’… While the initiative arguably benefits mainland tourists more than Hongkongers, it breaks a 20-year stronghold by the contactless Octopus card on how train fares can be paid for.”
Swiss consumers to get single digital ID
Just one password? Swiss groups plan single online identity — Reuters — “Swiss consumers will be able to use a single digital identity to buy online products and services under a project unveiled on Tuesday by nine big companies. The aim is to let people use just one login profile to order in shops, buy train tickets or do banking transactions, according to the consortium… It includes UBS, Credit Suisse, Swisscom, Swiss Post, stock exchange operator Six, Raiffeisen, Swiss Railways, Zuercher Kantonalbank and insurer Mobiliar.”
Boston to introduce NFC and contactless transit ticketing
Paying for a ride on the T could look very different in three years — Metro — “The MBTA on Monday moved towards overhauling its fare collection system to eliminate cash from its trolleys and buses and to give riders the ability to pay onboard with a credit card or smartphone… Riders will no longer be able to pay with cash on buses or the Green Line, eliminating transactions that cause delays and frustration for other passengers.”
Wembley to let fans store contactless tickets in their Apple Wallet
Contactless ticketing at Wembley Stadium — Wembley Stadium — “The innovation offers fans a new way to seamlessly and securely enter live events with contactless tickets added to Apple Wallet on their iPhone or Apple Watch… The integration of contactless tickets in Apple Wallet will simplify customers’ experience while enhancing security and fostering more personalised engagement with fans. As well as entering the stadium with their contactless tickets, fans can use Apple Pay to buy food and beverages with their iPhone or Apple Watch.”
Sony explains the history, current status and future development of mobile payments in Japan
NFC mobile payments have been a reality in Japan since 2004 when Sony and mobile network operator NTT Docomo formed a joint venture to bring the technology to market... More
China UnionPay tests NFC and QR transit payments
Public transport alliances set to boost UnionPay — China Daily — “In the first 19 cities where UnionPay pilot mobile payment applications will be used in public transportation, UnionPay provides users with comprehensive solutions including mobile phone QuickPass, bankcard QuickPass and QR code payment… According to Ge Huayong, president of UnionPay, more than 40 banks now accept UnionPay’s QR code payment transactions and an additional 60 or so banks are testing their systems.”
Australian festival-goers try out NFC ticket implants
Under the skin: How insertable microchips could unlock the future — The Guardian — “Ten volunteers received a microchip at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne on Wednesday to mark the launch of Pause Fest, a technology and culture festival now in its eighth year. Their chips were preloaded with a three-day pass to the festival and will be programmed to unlock the door to their home, gym, or workplace, or potentially to function as their public transport pass.”
Okey Co joins the NFC World Partner Program
NFC World today welcomes Beijing-based Okey Co as a member of our partner program... More
Carnival explains how its NFC and BLE devices will power next-generation cruise ship guest experiences
Carnival Corporation’s Michael Jungen explains how the world’s largest leisure travel company will use its new NFC and BLE-enabled Ocean Medallions to provide guests with a wide range of personalized, next generation services on board its cruise ships in an in-depth paper which is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre. More
Eight in ten air travellers want to store their passport on their phone
Passengers want technology to give them more control over their travel experience — IATA — “82% of travelers would like to be able to use a digital passport on their smartphones for as many travel activities as possible, from booking flights to passing through the airport. Biometric identification systems were the technology of choice with 64% favoring biometric identifiers as their preferred travel token.”
White paper sets out how fashion brands can add payments, loyalty, ticketing and more to wearable devices
Fashion brands looking to include payments capabilities in their wearable devices need solutions that are pre-certified, inexpensive, easy to implement and offer the wearer the ability to quickly and easily add their choice of payment, transit, loyalty and identity cards throughout the lifetime of their watch or fashion accessory, wearables platform provider Fidesmo explains in a new white paper which is now available to download free of charge from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
New York City to get NFC mobile ticketing from 2019
MTA approves plan to scrap MetroCards for ‘tap’ payment system — New York Daily News — “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board took its first step on Monday to retire the MetroCard and bring technology to let people “tap” their way through turnstiles and onto buses… Transit passengers in 2019 will be able to tap their way using a bank card or smartphone on 500 turnstiles and 600 buses, plus load up their chosen device with money online… In 2020, all subway stations and buses will have the tech.”
Shanghai Metro installs QR code readers at turnstiles
Shanghai Metro will soon allow QR code payments — ECNS — “With QR code readers being installed at turnstiles in several Shanghai metro stations, subway passengers can pay their tickets via Alipay or China UnionPay simply by scanning the QR code. Maglev train stations at Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road will also accept QR payments.”
STMicroelectronics unveils all-in-one NFC module for wearable payments
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has launched a new NFC payments module which is designed to overcome the space and cost constraints faced by wearable devices makers by integrating a miniaturized contactless radio booster with a secure microcontroller in a 4mm by 4mm package... More
Dejamobile raises €2.5m to expand its technical and commercial teams
PARTNER NEWS: HCE and NFC mobile payment platform provider Dejamobile has raised €2.5m from Newfund and from François Enaud, former chairman and CEO of the Steria Group... More
Dejamobile to supply Paris regional transit authority with NFC mobile ticketing technology
PARTNER NEWS: French public transportation authority Ile-de-France Mobilités is to introduce mobile ticketing from 2019, enabling users of the Paris metropolitan area subway, bus, tram and train network to purchase and store transit tickets on their Android NFC mobile phones... More